4.1 Article

A HISTOPATHOLOGICAL-BIOCHEMICAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF BLUE MUSSEL MYTILUS EDULIS

Journal

JOURNAL OF SHELLFISH RESEARCH
Volume 40, Issue 1, Pages 77-92

Publisher

NATL SHELLFISHERIES ASSOC
DOI: 10.2983/035.040.0108

Keywords

blue mussel; Mytilus edulis; bivalves; histology; trematode; aquaculture; Gulf of Maine

Funding

  1. University of New England (UNE) College of Arts and Sciences
  2. UNE School of Marine and Environmental Programs
  3. UNE Office of Research and Scholarship
  4. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Northeast Sustainable Agriculture & Education (NSARE award) [ONE17-306]
  5. NSF Maine EPSCoR SEANET [IIA-1355457]
  6. Bristol Seafoods

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The aquaculture of blue mussels in the Gulf of Maine is a growing industry, but wild mussel populations are threatened by rapidly changing ocean conditions. Research on farmed mussels revealed significant differences in reproductive and storage energy investment between years, indicating interannual variability. The study also found signs of potential physiological or environmental stress, including high levels of oocyte atresia and the presence of a damaging trematode species.
Aquaculture of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis in the Gulf of Maine is a growing industry at a time when wild mussel populations are threatened by a rapidly changing ocean. Intertidal mussel beds have largely disappeared in the region raising concerns over the long-term viability of mussel farming. Histology and lipid fatty acid analysis were used to assess gametogenesis, energy investment, and pathology of farmed mussels collected twice monthly for three years in Casco Bay, ME. Energy investment in reproduction and storage differed significantly between years, suggesting interannual variability. Wet weight of fatty acids such as DHA and EPA corresponded to pre-spawning periods, when gonad tissue was most abundant. Overall, pathology assessment showed low levels of common pathogens, parasites, and cellular abnormalities. The survey did, however, reveal high levels of oocyte atresia, a probable indicator of physiological or environmental stress from unfavorable spawning conditions. In addition, the presence of the potentially damaging digenetic trematode Proctoeces maculatus was documented using histology, marking the northernmost detection in the Northwest Atlantic and a likely climate-driven range expansion. These trends may signal a challenging future for blue mussels in the Gulf of Maine. Forward-looking farm mitigation practices informed by these results should be developed to ensure future sustainability of this industry.

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